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Waterfront Toronto set to replace trees along Queens Quay West this fall

Oct 19, 2018 | Precincts:Topics:

Following a comprehensive review by Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto’s Urban Forestry division, 154 trees that failed to thrive have been identified for replacement along Queens Quay West between Bay Street and Yo Yo Ma Lane. Replanting will take place from October 22 to November 16.

Waterfront Toronto will be replanting with a variety of species, which, along with the thriving trees that will be retained, will form a healthy tree canopy. Along the south side of Queens Quay, 135 trees have been identified to be replaced with a combination of Princeton Elm, Valley Forge Elm, Skyline Honey Locust, Marmo Maple, Autumn Fantasy Maple, and Jeffersred Maple. On the north side of Queens Quay, 19 trees have been identified to be replaced with similar species.

“Waterfront Toronto remains committed to establishing a healthy tree canopy on the waterfront. We have worked hard to identify a solution to the local environmental and climatic challenges our street trees face which should deliver on the promise of a green Queens Quay,” said Chris Glaisek, Chief Planning and Design Officer at Waterfront Toronto. “Thank you to the community for their patience as we monitored the health of the trees and as we determined the best course of action.”

Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto have been closely monitoring the trees since they were planted in 2015 as part of the Queens Quay Revitalization project. During the revitalization of Queens Quay, Waterfront Toronto anticipated that a percentage of the trees would not survive and would need to be replaced, however, the rate has been higher than anticipated.

It has been determined that a number of factors contributed to the tree failure including particularly harsh winter conditions and high levels of road salt. In addition, cold and damp weather has encouraged the growth of a fungal disease that has caused the sycamore trees on the south side of Queens Quay to lose their first set of leaves and twig sprouts in the spring. This results in significant dieback of major tree limbs and minimal leaf growth until late in the growing season.

For detailed information about the tree replacement and what to expect during this time, please read the latest Queens Quay notice.

About Waterfront Toronto

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto's waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of the waterfront revitalization. Toronto's new waterfront communities will use technology to enhance quality of life and create economic opportunity for the citizens of Toronto, helping to keep the city competitive with major urban centres around the world for business, jobs and talent.